Singaraja, On Friday, September 25, 2009
Sail Bunaken is a new name for yacht Rally Sail Indonesia. It is officially called Sail Bunaken 2009. this activity is a kind of rally which crosses do of Indonesian Ocean and visits some demote islands in Indonesian archipelago that have various and unique cultures. The event had been opened officially on August 19, 2009, which was signed by sailing pass and flying pass of tens military planes from Blitung harbour to the bay Manado, North Sulawesi.
Its main activity was attended by 39 warships from 22 countries and 10 warships from Indonesia. It included USS George Washington (an aircraft carrier / a mother ship) from United States and three tall ships.
Singaraja will become the host of Sail Bunaken / Sail Indonesia-Lovina 2009. This activity is an international event which becomes the largest event in Asia, it will be attended by hundreds ships. Lovina beach in Singaraja will become the check point for Bali. There are about 165 yachts from 20 countries with 402 crews / tourists surely will join in this event. The participants come from US, Australia, New Zealand, England, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Nederland, Turkey, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippine, Spain, Belgium, Norway.
|
Tabanan is the name of one district and town in Bali. Though Tabanan is not really a tourist town there are still some interesting aspects to it. Back in 1906 the Balinese and Dutch were fighting over control of the island.
The kingdom of Tabanan (a former regency of Bali) refused to abide by Dutch regulations. The Dutch forces marched towards Tabanan from the south, refusing to negotiate with the raja. In other regencies of Bali the raja and his court committed the ritual puputan (fight until death or last blood). The raja of Tabanan wanted to avoid this, but rather than be exiled in Lombok, he committed suicide in Denpasar prison. The history of colonial rule around the world is written in blood, Bali being no exception.
One of the more positive historical points of interest is the Subak Museum, located close to the main bypass road. While the museum itself is nothing special, it documents one of the most important social/economic/cultural institutions in Bali, the Subak. Dating back to 600AD, Bali has been using a system of un-mechanized rice cultivation and water management. Bali’s ability to produce an endless supply of rice year round is central to its history. The Subak controls management of the watercourses, stretching all the way to the highland lakes. A farmer cannot simply flood all his fields at the same time, or divert a main stream to access more water. The system is intricate and the Subak museum is the place where it’s officially documented.
Yeh Gangga, Lalang Linggah and Balian to the west are beach environments around the area. Highlights of the area close to Tabanan include Taman Kupu Kupu (Butterfly Park) in Wanasari and Yeh Panas hot springs. Pura Tanah Lot is a 15-minute drive South from Tabanan.
Tanah Lot
Tanah Lot, one of the most popular places of interest in Bali, is located on the coast of West Bali, at the village of Beraban in the Tabanan Regency. It is also called Tanah Let, which means ancient land, and also Tanah Lod, which mean the land to the south. The temple Pura Tanah Lot, simple in its construction, is dramatic in its ocean-front location and is one of the main temples in the worship of Balinese gods.
Tanah Lot has a long history in the world of tourism. The temple itself is built on a small promontory, which is only accessible at low tide. During high water the rock takes on the appearance of a large boat at sea, such is its shape.
Poisonous snakes live in the nearby caves to 'guard' the temple and contribute to the temple's dangerous reputation. Sunset is the best time to visit Tanah lot, when the golden red skies frame the temple and waves crash into the rocks. It is advisable to avoid the tourist crush here, as it can be severe.
Museum Subak
Rice cultivation has been a part of Balinese life since well before the 9th century AD. The island has been developed by an organization called the subak, which controls watercourses. The subak and the Goddess of Rice, Dewi Sri are part and parcel of daily life in Bali, with every sawah, or rice field having a shrine to Dewi Sri.
The original type of rice that grew in Bali (nasi Bali) has slowly been replaced by newer brands from overseas, which ripen quicker. These newer brands have other characteristic too. The rice tends to fall off of the ripened stalks easily, so rather than taking bundles of ripened rice to the village for threshing, the rice must be threshed on site. Men are always responsible for rice planting, but women and men help with threshing. Many of the songs and rituals that were shared during the village threshing are disappearing. As Norm from Eco Lodge pointed out, people look for the easy route - fast growing rice, easy threshing and not returning the stalks to the field, but burning them instead.
Here in Bali rice has 3 names: padi is growing rice, beras is harvested uncooked rice and nasi is cooked rice.
Yeh Gangga Beach
This beach is 10km South West of Tabanan. The attraction of this area is natural beauty, with rice fields leading down to the beach, volcanoes in the distance and a rugged, empty coastline. Yeh Gangga beach, like many of the beaches on the South West coast, is not suitable for swimming, due to the currents and lack of any emergency services. When it is low tide, the beach is quite wide and easy to walk on but there are not many places to buy food and drinks, although Yeh Gangga beach itself has a few very basic places. (BTN/*)
|
Gianyar is 125 meters above sea level, has cool climate and two seasons every year - rainy season from October to April and dry season from May to September. Gianyar regency is rich in art and the greatest culture of the past which is both ancient and sacred. It is also supported by the creativity of the people. That is why many tourists are interested to come and visit Gianyar and many stay for a couple of weeks.
Places of interest
Bali Bird Park Singapadu
The Birds from Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa and other parts of the world can be found in Bali Bird Park, Singapadu, Gianyar.
Wanara Wana Forest
Wanara Wana, more popularly known as the monkey forest, is nestled between the villages of Nyuh Kuning and Padang Tegal in Ubud. This small monkey forest is inhabited by hundreds of macaque monkeys who delight visitors with their antics. Being used to humans, the monkeys will frolic with each other and steal any food away from you, so be careful! There is a lovely grotto down below with an ancient banyan tree as well the local temple called Pura Dalem.
Taro - Elephant Safaris
Two experiences in one! See the wonderful Balinese Village of Taro from atop an elephant’s back. Taro is located in the village of Tegallalang District in Gianyar regency
Tirta Empul
Known as a holy Geyser, the water here is the original meaning of Tirta Empul. This place has 30 different functions; for cleansing the body, for removal of evil temptation, for cleaning objects, for ceremonies and rituals, etc. The weather here is cool with light breezes.
Gunung Kawi
Gunung Kawi means carving in the mountain. It is the monument of King Udayana and his son. When you arrive at the area, located in Tampaksiring, 40 kms from Denpasar, you will see the Vihara Buddhist monastery dating back to the ancient time (11th century).
Goa Gajah
Located at Bedulu Village, 26 kms from Denpasar there is the ruins of Balinese palace complex, complete with a huge cave for hermitage. The cave used to be a meditation site for Hindu and Buddhist monks, dating back to the 11th century. The frightening demon head was carved out of the cave’s rock face, while inside the cave a God statue with elephant head ‘Ganesha’ can be seen at west end and ‘Tri Lingga’ statue at the cave’s east end (the cave is ‘T’ shaped). Two bathing places at cave’s yard have six nymph statues, each holding a water fountain on its umbilicus, as a symbol of the six holy rivers in India. (BTN/*)
|
This is the smallest regency in Bali. It covers only 121 square kilometers and includes three islands, Nusa Penida, Lembongan and Ceningan. Despite its size, its influence on Balinese culture has been powerful. It was here, in the shadow of the holy volcano Agung, that the princes and priests of Majapahit gathered in 1343 to continue the kingdom by setting up ‘Keraton’ in Samprangan, but within a couple of generations, they moved to Gelgel and then to Klungkung, in 1710. In the 16th century the Gods smiled on Gelgel when Dalem Baturenggong reached an impressive political and cultural achievement to earn his ‘golden age’
Kertha Gosa, which is situated in the central town of Semarapura, was the place for administration and traditional justice in the pre-colonial times by a council consisting of the great king and his priests. Next to the Kertha Gosa is Taman Gili, known as a Floating House (Bale Kambang) which was the King’s Guard’s headquarters. These two buildings are decorated with Kamasan Traditional Paintings. A colonial building, located next to these two buildings, is Semarajaya Museum, collecting some handicraft of Klungkung, pre-historic and historic articles especially those used in the period of Klungkung’s heroic battle. In the southern part of the museum area, there stands the main gate of Semarapura Palace ‘Pemedal Agung’.
The newest sight in Semarapura Town is Patung Kandapat Sari, situated at the main junction of Semarapura town. Some people consider this statue as the landmark of Klungkung Regency. Next to this landmark stands an historical monument known as Monument of Klungkung Heroic Battle. This monument is a cenotaph reminiscent of an event that once took place on April 28, 1908. It is well known as ‘Puputan’, a counter-defence of The Great King of Klungkung against the Dutch soldiers. Moving south of Semarapura town along the main road, one will arrive at the ‘under construction’ area of Tourism Villages, home of traditional Painting, Kamasan Village and Bali's original capital, Gelgel.
Moving east of Semarapura Town along the main road, one will cross the Unda River. A rapid wading (rafting) recreation is now available along the river. One should come and enjoy it. Passing through the river, there are a number of interesting villages including Paksabali, famous for the Pasraman Dewa festival. Further to the east, one will arrive at the fishing village of Kusamba, with its dramatic black sand beaches. Beyond Kusamba but not too far is the famous Goa Lawah bat cave temple, one of the state temples of Klungkung.
Driving to the west of the town of Semarapura is the village of Tiingan, most famous as the village of Gamelan Smiths. Not far from Tiingan, there is a Museum of classical painting ‘I Nyoman Gunarsa’, collecting diverse kinds of classical Balinese paintings. (BTN/*)
|
|
|
Destination
